It seems like many people on this site are really in the dark on how their clubs and teams are run. I suggest that you talk to your board. And if your board won't talk to you, then switch clubs or run for office.
After the AHF games and showcases are set, BB is not involved in scheduling individual teams or clubs. They just aren't. They aren't even directly involved in AHF scheduling. The AHF does that. BB collects the fees.
Each club has a scheduler and each team has a coach and manager. If you want to go to Lake Placid, you are free to do so.
AHF showcases are just 4 regular season games. It makes it easier to play 4 league games in a single weekend. It also gives you more flexibility to attend tournaments on other weekends.
They aren't even directly involved in AHF scheduling? AHF, LLC is a Delaware company owned by Black Bear. The AHF Commissioner gets paychecks signed by Black Bear. They are one and the same.
I get your point that individual clubs/teams are free to chose what they do when they're not scheduled for AHF events, but all AHF/BB (and the owners of Defender Hockey Tournaments) have to do to kill their competition is schedule AHF games and showcases on holiday weekends.
As a non-sanctioned league, AHF clubs will likely be at a mathmatical disadvantage when it comes to the Districts and they'll likely have to participate in a qualifier just to send a team there. Meanwhile, (unless they change the format) the DVHL can send two teams to district and offer the 1 seed a bye. When some solid AA teams get weeded out in the indy qualifier, playing in the DVHL won't be looking that bad after all.
Word is AHF will be a sanctioned league in 23-24 and that will kill DV & NJ. AHF will become the dominant league as better players move to these rinks. What SE PA and SJ rinks are still playing DV or NJ? Most moved to AHF. I would have thought AYHL AAA league would eventually fold into THF but since PHC is not in THF this is will not happen, but AHF will become dominant league.
Maybe, but the District would have to change the rules to allow a for-profit league to get sanctioned. Looking at how votes are cast in the District, it doesn't look like BB would have an advantage in that department. I guess we'll see after the June annual meeting.
There are some disadvtanges for bantam and midget teams in the AHF that many people over look.
No. 1, There is no defined path to districts (yet) for them. The AAHA rules (as of 21-22) only provide for a Tier I Indy qualifier, so they will have to develop a procedure for the the Tier II AHF teams. If it's like the prior years qualifier, then each team's regular season record won't count for much and no AHF teams will get a bye to districts.
No. 2, unless the rules are changed, the DVHL will still be able to offer more spots to districts in a smaller league. If you had a midget team on the fence, your odds will be better in the DVHL.
No. 3, it's going to be brutal for the teams that suck. If you were on a bad DHVL team, at least you could play 20-ish nl and tourney games against different teams to try and get a "w". If you are in the bottom half of the AHF, buckle up becuase it's really going to be a rough season.
No. 4, Publishing stats on young kids is a stupid move. Some of those teams had triple digit goal differentials in just a 20 game season...are you really 'developing' a young goalie putting him/her in a position where their gaa is double digits...then publishing those stats on the young kid for the world to see?
I can see it going both ways. It's nice that there is competition, but it's a little too early to say the DVHL is dead.